


Storms

by poetroe



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Childhood, Childhood Friends, F/F, F/M, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Haunting, Kindred Spirits, Suki Week, suki centric, zukki if you squint !!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27463762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetroe/pseuds/poetroe
Summary: Kyoshi haunts a specific place on the island. Suki has encounters with her throughout her life.Written for Suki Week 2020
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	Storms

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic for Suki week (it's still Suki week in some timezones !!!! I definitely finished right on time) because I love her very much and wanted to reimagine her story in my own way: involving Kyoshi as her spiritual guide, sort of. Since I'm also a firm believer in the Suki bisexual agenda I've added an OC, I suppose you will meet her soon enough! Anyways, I hope you like this story, it's a lot of things outside of my comfort zone when it comes to writing so I appreciate any feedback y'all might have. Big thank you to my bestie lilac who proofread about half this fic and to Fleetwood Mac for the song Storms. Have fun u guys !!

There is a house on Kyoshi, hidden on the far west side of the island, on the steep, rocky shore overlooking the sea. On rainy days, the clouds and the ocean seem to blend into each other in their shades of grey. On clear days, the distant contours of Whaletail Island can be seen on the horizon.

Calling it a house might be too generous of a description. It’s more like the skeleton of a house, eaten away at by the ravages of time. Part of the roof has collapsed a long time ago, the overgrown rubble covering the ground, but the stone walls are still standing. Inside, beneath the foliage that has taken over, lay cracked tiles. The windows are nothing more than bare openings, the wooden windowsills having long since rotted away.

There’s only one corner where the roof still perseveres, Suki finds out. She’s six years old and exploring the island, and maybe she has gone a bit far off the beaten path when it starts to pour. She enjoys the challenge, though, racing to find cover against the rain while it keeps coming down harder and harder. That’s how she finds the ruin, catching her breath as she sits down on the soft moss that has covered the stones underneath the remainder of the roof.

The wind and the rain beat against the worn walls. Suki is barely keeping dry in her little corner, her eyes wide as she waits out the shower. A feeling of unease sneaks up on her. It’s in the sudden darkness that accompanied the storm, it’s in the building itself, that creaks and groans under the forces that are being let loose on it. A shiver runs up Suki’s arms. The storm pulls on her clothes and her hair, but Suki ignores its roar, instead pressing herself further into the corner. She’s getting scared, but she fights the feeling: she is brave, she isn’t scared of anything, least of all a little rain and wind.

But the crackle of thunder in the sky above shakes her resolve. Suki’s face scrunches up as hot tears gather in the corners of her eyes. A flash, followed by a bang, and the tears start trickling down her cheeks.

“Shh,” comes a whisper. The wind will whistle and make all kinds of noises, so Suki pays it no mind. Until it comes again. “Shh… Dry your tears, little one.” The wind has never actually talked before. She wipes at her face, confused, until she looks up.

Suki recognizes her instantly from the wooden statue in the village. “Kyoshi,” she whispers. Avatar Kyoshi is crouching in front of her, the dark green of her tunic brushing over the ground. Suki is stunned as she watches the imposing woman sitting right in front of her, her headdress gleaming, looking nothing like the dusty metal Suki knows from the dimly lit shrine.

“Yes,” Kyoshi says, grimacing not unkindly, as she pats Suki on the head. The fabric of her glove feels heavy on her hair. “Now, what’s your name, little girl?”

“Suki,” she answers.

“And are you afraid of me, Suki?” Suki shakes her head determinedly. She has loved Avatar Kyoshi for as long as she can remember. The white face paint cracks a little around the corner of her mouth as Kyoshi grins. “Good,” she says, “then I want you to remember this. And I promise you won’t be scared, anymore.”

The following words would echo in Suki’s mind for years to come, as a mantra. “I have never been a blue calm sea. I have always been a storm.”

***

No one is actually surprised when Suki mentions she is going to visit Kyoshi. The Avatar takes on many forms on the island of her birth: she is the statue, overlooking the village, she is the attributes in the shrine, she is the group of warriors, that trains in the hall on top of the hill. For Suki, Kyoshi is the apparition in the ruined house, that strengthened her resolve during one of the worst storms that hit the island in years.

She likes to take different paths to the house. Along the shore, or over the hills, or through the forest, as she’s walking today. Kyoshi hadn’t appeared again after that day, but there’s something about the spot that feels like she lingers there, regardless of whether Suki can see her or not.

It’s summer and she turned eight only a few days prior. Yesterday, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors came to her father’s house and asked if she would like to join. Suki, who had expected to be asked, hadn’t hesitated in saying yes.

A strong westerly wind makes this side of the island feel colder than the village, but Suki takes comfort in it. She sits cross-legged in the space that would’ve been the biggest room of the house, in the middle of the ruin, where tall grass and wildflowers have covered up the brown tiles. The sun is warm and Suki sighs deeply, eyes closed, reveling in the quiet.

She doesn’t feel that anything has changed. There is just an icy cold gust of wind, that makes her shudder when it brushes past her bare arms. Then when she opens her eyes, Kyoshi is sitting in front of her.

“You’ve grown,” the Avatar says. Suki is already past the point of surprise—this is _her_ house, she’s pretty sure. The other day, she had found a box made out of bamboo underneath a thick layer of dirt and roots. The lock was so rusted that it broke almost immediately when Suki tried to pry it open. Inside lay some personal treasures: a handmade necklace, another beautiful one made with pale quartz and red garnet crystals earthbended together, some coins of money Suki did not recognize, and the tusk of a saber-tooth moose lion. And although there was nothing to signify the owner of these prized possessions, to Suki it confirmed what she already suspected. These were items Kyoshi had gathered as she traveled the world, and this had been her house.

She regards the spirit in front of her with a confident smile. “I have,” she replies. “I will be a Kyoshi Warrior, soon.”

***

Suki is only three years into her training, but she is already top of their little group of students, besting even the girls who are older than her in the art of fan combat. It’s probably what leads to them all pointing to her, when Himari wants them to play truth or dare and when Akari suggests one of them should check out the haunted house along the western shore.

A little surprised that they know about the house at all, Suki agrees.

“I heard it’s the ghost of a widow that lives there,” Sachi says, as they make their way through the forest. “Her husband was a sailor, and he died at sea. Maybe he got eaten by the Unagi, I don’t remember—anyways, the wife kept waiting for him, for _years_ , until she went completely insane.” All the girls are looking at her, now. Some clearly frightened, others—like Suki—completely unphased. “In the end, her broken heart was just too painful,” Sachi continues. She tells the story convincingly, like she believes it to be true. “She threw herself off the cliff. And from that day onwards, she roams around the house, looking out over the sea… Waiting for her husband to return, _for eternity_.”

Suki can’t help but snicker when she sees Himari’s shudder. “That’s a nice story,” she says. “Great for scaring children.”

“So you’re okay with going in there alone?” Yuki asks her. They’re out of the woods and the house looms in the moonlight, more dark and threatening than how Suki knows it to look. She grins and nods.

“It’s only an old ruin,” she says. “Besides, you’re all too scared to go look, right?” The girls look away, or all except Yuki, who just chuckles and crosses her arms.

“I’m up for it,” she grins.

“Good,” Suki replies, beaming. “You guys wait here for us,” she tells the other girls. “We’ll scream if the old widow catches us.”

It’s a funny coincidence, how similar their names are. Suki considers them alike in more than one way, actually. They’re both good fighters; Suki is skilled, but Yuki is their leader. When they engage in a battle of words, they’re equally matched as well. Suki feels at ease around her, as Yuki seems to be the only one out of all the girls who doesn’t single her out for either her age or her talent.

Together they march the remaining distance to the house, trampling the tall grass. “I have to admit something,” Suki starts. “This isn’t the first time I’ve come here. I’ve visited a couple of times, already.”

“So you’re acquainted with our waiting widow?” Yuki proposes, her brown eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Suki snorts.

“She doesn’t exist.” With familiar movements, she turns the corner, and stops before the dark opening that is the main entrance of the ruin. “But I have met the owner before.”

Yuki eyes her curiously. “You must be kidding,” she says. “Surely there’s no one actually living here.” Suki just smiles as she takes the first step inside.

“Well, ‘living’ isn’t the best word to describe it.” Through the gaping hole where the roof should’ve been, the moon sheds some light on the overgrown rubble. It looks quite gorgeous like this, Suki wonders, as she watches the light dance on shimmering leaves of the ivy that covers the walls.

“So who is it?” Yuki asks, as her eyes track the building. “The owner.” The wind is never absent on this part of the island and it toys with her dark hair.

Suki sits down in the grass. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me,” she starts. “I know some people don’t think spirits are real—but this house belonged to Avatar Kyoshi.” Yuki’s eyes land on her, growing wide. “And I know for sure, because I’ve met her here, before.”

“When did that happen?” Yuki asks. She sits down next to Suki, instantly absorbed in this information, which had been only Suki’s to know for so long.

“The first time when I was six,” Suki tells her, blushing a little. Her eyes are on the night sky as she recounts the memory. “She protected me from the spring storm we had that year. Then again when I was eight. She doesn’t show herself a lot, but when she does, it just… It fills me with the type of confidence that makes me feel I could take on absolutely anybody.”

Yuki releases a breath. “I can imagine.” The silence settles for a beat, until she snorts. “Wow, I’m actually sort of jealous.”

“Who knows, maybe she will appear tonight. We could stay a little longer, tell the others there was the widow to fight,” Suki proposes.

“Or we could come back during the daytime,” Yuki replies. “I know the girls will go crazy if we let them wait much longer.” She gets up and slaps the dirt off her tunic. “Tomorrow, we could take our time. Maybe you could show me around?” Suki thinks about the little bamboo box, that she carefully hid in a space underneath one of the tiles. The prospect of sharing another one of her secrets with Yuki, to forge a true close friendship with the girl she admires the most, fills her stomach with butterflies.

“That would be nice,” she smiles.

A cloud slides in front of the moon while they’re still inside, immediately cloaking the ruin in the pitch black darkness. “Okay,” Yuki mutters. Suki feels warm fingers finding her hand and curling around it. “I guess Kyoshi couldn’t resist scaring us, after all.”

Suki laughs, as she pulls her friend along. “Let’s go, then!” In the corner of her eye, Suki could swear she sees a familiar golden gleam, but she’s got her full attention on Yuki and their joined hands.

As they make their way out the door, a strong gust of wind blows through the ruin and causes part of a wall to collapse. It startles the both of them so much that Suki lets out a shout and Yuki breaks out in a sprint, pulling Suki along as she takes off in a beeline for the woods.

***

The house is a place of solace. Somewhere Suki can sneak away to with Yuki, or somewhere she can flee to when she needs to be alone. Although Kyoshi Island is home to a number of villages, everyone generally knows each other, and at times the island can feel too small to evade their eyes and ears. The ruin is a special place, where no one else ever bothers her.

Two years have passed since that night, when they went into the ruin underneath the full moon. Suki has matured since then, in more ways than one: the butterflies that had flown around her stomach have turned into a summer storm.

Yuki is none the wiser—or that’s what Suki hopes. Her friendship with their leader remains the most important relationship in her life. Still, their afternoons spent between the faded red of the brick walls, lounging in the grass and talking about their dreams, sparring until one of them ends up pushing the other to the ground… It has left Suki wondering about the possibility of _more_.

Her foot meets a rock and sends it flying, ricocheting off one of the house’s walls and taking part of it down, with it. She can’t find it in herself to feel guilty; the house is barely standing as is. But the wind strikes up, a cloud passes in front of the sun and then Kyoshi appears before her once more, leaving Suki to feel at least a little bad.

“I’m sorry about wrecking your place,” she admits quietly.

“The elements have done more to ruin it than you ever could,” the Avatar speaks. A small smile plays around her mouth. “And I do not mean that to be taken as a challenge.” Suki laughs despite herself.

“Noted,” she says as she saunters around the rubble. Finding the familiar place on their own accord, her hands lift a tile and find the bamboo box, underneath. Her thumb fiddles with the broken lock. In spite of their meetings being few and far between, Suki senses a sort of kinship with the Avatar. “If it’s not too much trouble,” Suki starts, suddenly feeling nervous about asking her anything. “I could use your advice.”

Kyoshi seems to mull it over. “Well, I suppose I still am the Avatar; and it’s my duty to help both people and spirits.” She sits in the grass, inviting Suki to sit across from her. “What is it that’s troubling you?”

Suki’s fingers tighten around the bamboo box. “My friendship with Yuki,” she starts, “the current leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. The one I have brought here, on a few occasions.” Kyoshi silently nods. “Lately, I’ve been… Wondering, if that’s all there is to it,” Suki admits. “I don’t know how to explain it. She is my best friend and I am hers, but lately, I’ve been wondering if it’s not possible, somehow, to be more than that.” She falls silent, bowing her head under Kyoshi’s watchful gaze. “I know it sounds—”

“No more than reasonable,” Kyoshi intercepts. “You care deeply for the girl. You should tell her about it.” Her gloved hands take the box from Suki’s and open it, taking out the red and white necklace. “You should give her this, too.”

“Why?” Suki asks, eyes wide in wonder. “Does it hold some hidden power?”

Kyoshi scoffs a laugh. “Nothing of the sort,” she says, as she traces the crystals. “But I know romantic prospects appreciate receiving gifts. Especially ones as gorgeous as this one.” At Suki’s surprised expression, the Avatar chuckles. “Although I was the fiercest warrior of my generation,” she grins, “I was a girl, too.”

***

The war is always at the back of her mind, even in the confines of old, overgrown walls and a collapsed roof. As a child, Suki had heard the stories of barbaric Fire Nation troops, and as a warrior she had spent countless of hours training while keeping the familiar enemy in mind. But Kyoshi is still an island, isolated from the violence and destruction that rages through the Earth Kingdom like fever, and it never comes any closer than that.

Every day, terse accounts of towns on the mainland shores being attacked reach the village. And every day, Yuki’s face grows more determined. It frightens Suki, who turned fifteen not too long ago. She knows Yuki, with her sense of duty and justice, like no other.

Still, when it happens, it catches her entirely by surprise. Suki is at the house again, sitting on the cliffside with her feet dangling over the edge. The salty breeze cools her cheeks and she feels at peace.

“It’s like you enjoy life-threatening situations,” a familiar voice says and Suki grins.

“This is hardly dangerous,” she says, as she gets up and turns around. Yuki is standing before her, dressed in her warrior uniform and with a full face of make-up. The sun is bright where it reflects off her headdress and Suki’s smile wanes. Her eyes fall on the pale crystals that interlock around her neck. “I don’t need to tell _you_ about danger.”

Yuki smiles, but it’s bittersweet. “The Fire Nation is gaining ground and influence in the western parts of the Earth Kingdom.” she says, softly. “The rebels and what remains of the Earth King’s army need our help in liberating Wulong and other villages in the area.”

“What about protecting the island?” It’s nothing short of unusual for the Kyoshi Warriors to leave Kyoshi, let alone fight in battles far away.

“It won’t sink,” Yuki replies, bullheaded the way she gets when the issues are duty, or justice, or freedom. “It will be here when we return.”

“Okay,” Suki nods. “Then we will go.”

“No,” Yuki stops her. “Not you. I’m taking the older girls, but I need you to remain here. To take care of the young ones. To…” She doesn’t need to finish her sentence, because Suki knows how it ends. To become the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, if Yuki doesn’t come back. Tears burn behind her eyes and Suki flies around Yuki’s neck, hiding her face in the other girl’s shoulder, almost knocking the both of them to the ground with the force of the hug.

This was always the way things were going to end. Somewhere deep down, Suki had known. Yuki is the Kyoshi Warriors’ leader as much as she is Suki’s best friend. And when the arms around her middle tighten and warm tears fall against her neck, she realizes Yuki is crying, too.

Slowly she pulls back, still in Yuki’s embrace, and wipes the tears away. “You’ll mess up your make-up,” Suki mutters. The other girl laughs, a faltering sound as the tears start coming more steadily.

“Don’t worry about me,” she says. “I can hold my own. And so can you.” It’s almost like she says it to assure herself, as well—and suddenly Suki can see it all more clearly. Yuki is only a year and a half older than her. She’s probably terrified.

In the end, she just repeats whatever she tells herself when she’s scared. The mantra given to her so long ago. “It’s going to be okay,” Suki says as she pulls the other girl back into a hug. “You have never been a blue calm sea.” Yuki takes another shuddering breath. “You have always been a storm.”

***

The summer marks the hundredth summer since Fire Lord Azulon first invaded the Air Temples and burned them down, officially starting the war against the other nations. It’s one of the harsher summers on Kyoshi Island, with the spring storms lingering well into the hotter months, that feel cold still when somber news from the western front reaches the village.

Suki finds herself spending more time at the house on the shore, a place that brings her less joy the more often she visits.

It’s on a rare hot day that Suki finds herself sitting in the grassy ruin, leaning against the wall that provides her with some much needed shade. She has given the rest of the girls the day off, to cool down in the chilly water of the bay or do whatever else they see fit in dealing with the heat.

Even though Suki hasn’t performed the necessary rites, they all consider her the Kyoshi Warriors’ new leader. It’s something that is most likely the product of her fighting ability and her close bond with Yuki colliding, but they never once question her competence. So Suki falls into the roll, expectedly and easily.

She thinks about Yuki again as the salt air hits her face.

“Things will get easier,” comes a familiar voice. Avatar Kyoshi rounds the corner, finding her usual spot in the grass, though she keeps standing this time. She looks strange in full sunlight; more translucent, somehow.

“Will they?” Suki responds. She’s not really in the mood for Kyoshi’s life lessons today; she’s moping and heat has always made her grumpy.

“If you let them,” Kyoshi answers. “You will be a good leader. I’ve known that much since you were six.” A self-serving smirk dances around her mouth.

“What’s so funny?” Suki asks, annoyed.

“In some ways, you remind me of myself.” Suki isn’t sure if that is intended to make her feel flattered. “In some ways you might be better,” Kyoshi continues. “I know you will lead well. You’re fearless. You’re strong, skilled, but not overly confident. You depend on your fellow warriors as they do on you.”

“They do. They’ve had to,” Suki says, thinking about the girls they’d lost. On the day they had gotten the news, Suki had gathered all the girls in the hall on the hill. That was the first time she’d ever seen Akari cry.

“Loss is a part of life,” Kyoshi says. “But so is love.”

When Suki finally meets the Avatar’s jade eyes, she sees in them a steely resolve, and something akin to pride. “I know that,” she mutters.

Kyoshi approaches, seeming to glide over the rubble rather than she looked to be walking. She lays a hand on Suki’s shoulder. “Things will change. It’s up to you to decide your part in it.” Suki doesn’t reply, watching quietly as Kyoshi’s heavy glove leaves her and she disappears, getting lost in the breeze like dandelion seeds.

As it turns out, Kyoshi is right. The day after they spoke, Suki catches whispers around the village of an airbender—possibly the lost Avatar—being spotted in the Patola Mountains, the old Air Nomad territories. They’re untrustworthy accounts, reporting a narrative that appears more hopeful than factual. Suki doesn’t dare hope for them to be true, although it is unusual.

Her father had told her rumors like these weren’t unusual seventy, or even fifty years ago; people under the yoke of a long-lasting war will take any relief they can get, even if its fabricated.

But a few days later, a bald airbender, two Water Tribe siblings, a lemur and a bison the size of two houses find their way onto the island’s shores—it’s an indisputable break with their quiet past. Above all, knowing that Aang is Kyoshi reincarnated feels a little strange, but Suki doesn’t get much of an opportunity to wonder about that when the Water Tribe boy is stumbling around their village and into their training hall, clearly begging to be put in his place.

***

Sokka, in spite of how much he annoys her, shows Suki how people can change.

Suki has her fun playing around with him first, of course, by knocking him to the ground in front of all the other girls and having him put on the uniform when he, to Suki’s surprise, returns and asks her to teach him. Sokka has a lot to learn about the principles of fighting, but Suki admires his resilience. He’s clever, able to pick up the techniques quickly, and he’s quite capable when he manages to use his strength to his advantage. Most of all, he dons the uniform and the face paint with pride.

In the end they only have the day together, but it feels longer than that. During one of their breaks, Sokka tells her about how he’s the last warrior of his tribe, like his sister is the last waterbender, and Aang the last airbender. It’s different from them, Sokka claims, since he’s not a bender and since the other warriors are still out there, albeit far away. But he’s still alone and Suki, who has always been surrounded by the other girls training and fighting alongside her, feels for him.

Maybe that’s why she kisses him on the cheek in the heat of battle, her stomach fluttering as Sokka blushes right through the white face paint. It’s the last they see of each other before Suki spots the bison leaving the island, taking Sokka, Katara and Aang with him, back into the wide world.

Later, Suki wonders how she managed to fall for not one, but _two_ people who seem to make it a habit to be more stubborn than a hippo ox. Then, she wonders how it is that being with them has managed to change her this much.

Aside from her loyalty to the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki had never felt particularly compelled to help other people before, let alone people she didn’t know. Her father had raised her, like any true islander, with the mentality that being self-sufficient comes before anything or anyone else. It’s not selfish to prioritize your own survival.

Not just by her personal preference but as their leader, Suki had always preferred the Kyoshi Warriors to stay on the island, as well; the way they had ever since the war broke out. Yuki had been their only leader who had broken that trend in a century. Like none other, Suki knew how that had ended.

“I don’t know if I can ask this of them,” she says to Kyoshi, when she proposes her idea to the Avatar one night. The sky is clear apart from a stray cloud, trekking across the heavens solitarily.

“You are their leader,” Kyoshi simply answers. “You are the only one who can.”

Of course, Suki knows she can just _make_ them come with her, but that’s not the kind of leader she intends to be. “I don’t know if it would be right. When this is something that does more to endanger the island than to protect it.”

“You would be protecting other people,” the Avatar counters. “People who arguably need it more.”

Suki frowns. “But I would be abandoning the people here. You know as well as I do that the Fire Nation could come and light this place up any time they wanted to.” Something that had been made painfully clear by the banished prince who had landed on their shores, searching for Aang.

“When I separated this island from the mainland, it wasn’t just to defend it from Chin the Conqueror,” Kyoshi states. Her voice takes on the larger-than-life timbre it gets whenever she mentions the world affairs she was involved in during her time as the Avatar; something that never fails to impart the realization that this is actually her, the lady from the statue in the village that Suki has always looked up to. “The sea provides a strong natural border,” Kyoshi continues. “That’s a luxury not every village in the Earth Kingdom has.”

“You’re right,” Suki mutters.

“Besides,” Kyoshi continues. Her jade eyes gain a sparkle. “The Avatar has returned. Even though he’s just a boy, I know that it was you meeting him that has changed your heart. If there was ever a time to go out into the world and fight for justice, for freedom, wouldn’t that time be now?”

Suki thinks of Yuki, who wanted nothing more than to help stop the war. She thinks of Sokka, who despite being the last man of his tribe, left his home to do exactly the same. “You’re right,” she says, again.

“You, together with the rest of the girls, can help the Avatar bring justice upon the Fire Nation,” Kyoshi states, as if she knows it to be fact. “Only justice will restore the balance between nations, and bring peace.”

***

It’s a cold day on the Southern Sea, the light rain mixing together with the spray of seawater that bounces off the hull of ship every time it hits a wave. The cutter sailing ship they’ve taken from the South Pole is robust, but nothing like Zuko’s cruiser. Each ripple of the sea can be felt as the ship cuts through the water.

“We should’ve taken Appa.” Zuko looks even paler than usual, his fingers cramped as he holds his stomach. The humidity has his hair curling up at the ends, pointing skyward defiantly.

“You’ve spent four years on a ship,” Sokka remarks, “ _how_ can you be seasick?”

Zuko grimaces. “Maybe it’s the sea prunes from yesterday,” he answers.

“Maybe it’s your conscience,” Sokka parries, crossing his arms. It makes Suki snicker as she leans back against the ship’s railing.

“It could be,” she answers. “But you don’t have to be nervous. Today, you can make amends. For as long and as much as you need to.” That manages to calm Zuko down a little bit and he shoots her a watery smile.

After a short while, the forested hills of Kyoshi Island come into view, a jagged dark line against the clouded sky. It feels strange to see her home approaching through the rain, which is coming down more steadily now. A part of her thought she’d never see it again.

Sokka joins her on the bow of the ship. “Aren’t you cold?” he asks, as he comes to join her against the railing, their shoulders touching. “It’s been coming down pretty hard.”

Suki is wearing her uniform, which is warm and layered, so she shakes her head. “No, it’s alright. After all this time away, this kind of weather is actually kind of comforting.”

“I’m a little cold,” Zuko deadpans, as he sides with them at the front of the ship. He’s still wearing the thick fur coat Katara had gotten him on the South Pole, nestling his face in the fluffy collar; looking ready to get off this boat and out of the rain.

Sokka grins, turning back to the Fire Lord. “Well spirits, Zuko, I can’t control the weather!”

The rain stops when they make it to the village. Suki is glad to see her people doing well, noting a few new houses along the main street. She also sees Zuko stiffen up when Oyaji comes out to greet them. After Suki has greeted her village elder, the Fire Lord takes a moment to bow to the old man and formally apologize for the destruction caused to the village, the last time he was here. Oyaji returns the gesture courteously, before showing them to the house they have at their disposal for their weeklong visit.

Zuko leaves them to get settled, going back to the village on his own. It has to do with making amends, Suki suspects, so she leaves him to it and helps Sokka unpack their stuff. Then, the next day, she takes the boys to the ruined house on the island’s western shore.

It’s cool and there’s an unforgiving wind that hits their cheeks like cuts, but Suki leads them inside the vine covered walls, sheltered from the harshness of the elements.

“This used to be Avatar Kyoshi’s house,” she mentions as Sokka and Zuko take a seat on the ground, the overgrown brown tiles that used to make up the floor. “Although, I’m the only one who knows.”

“How is that?” Zuko asks, looking around the place. He’s probably studying the rubble, looking for signs of the Earth Kingdom’s Avatar among the crumbling walls.

“Most people on the island seem to think it’s haunted,” Suki explains. The memory of Sachi’s story on the night when she came down here with Yuki and the other girls flashes through her mind. “But I’ve been coming here since I was a child. The first time was when I was lost, looking for shelter.” She smiles. “That’s when Avatar Kyoshi’s spirit appeared to me for the first time.”

Zuko stares at her, amazed, as Sokka exclaims: “ _first_ time? As in you’ve met her multiple times?”

Suki smirks as she finds the tile she’s looking for and lifts it out of the ground. In the hole underneath it lays the bamboo box, securely in its place. “Just a handful of moments, but always when I needed her. And always here.” She joins the boys on the floor and places the box in the middle of their little circle. “This was hers.”

With practiced hands Suki opens the box and grabs the saber-tooth moose lion tusk, handing it to Sokka. “I thought you might like this one,” she says. Sokka immediately starts studying the tooth, muttering to himself about saber-tooth moose lion cubs under his breath. Suki hands the faded iron coins to Zuko with a smile. “And for our well-traveled prince. Maybe you know where they’re from?”

Zuko holds them up to the light. “It looks like old Fire Nation money. From before my great-grandfather’s age.” He studies them some more, blowing away the dust. “Are you sure I can have these?”

They’re Kyoshi’s possessions, technically. But they’re also Suki’s treasures, so she nods.

The last remaining item is the handmade necklace, a braided piece of string tied to a delicate wooden ornament. The edges of the wood have smoothed over after years of being worn, and even more of years being hidden away in the ruin. Suki decides to leave it in the box, for Kyoshi to keep. It feels too personal an artifact to be taken any place else.

***

For old times’ sake, Sokka suggests they visit the training hall and acquaint Zuko with the Kyoshi Warrior’s culture, although he probably also just wants to see Zuko in a dress.

Sokka looks as proud in the uniform as the last time he wore it and Suki feels her heart swells at the sight. The grin doesn’t leave her face all throughout her painting his face in the traditional white and red.

Zuko watches as she sits closely to Sokka, drawing broad strokes of white over his face. When she picks up the small stone pot that holds the red paint, he speaks. “I guess you’ve got an easy job with me,” he says. “You only have to paint one eye red.”

Sokka grimaces involuntarily and Suki halts, turning to the other boy. “I am going to paint both,” she states, “whether you try to get out of it or not.” With decisive swipes, she finishes Sokka’s paint and turns to Zuko. “Unless… You really don’t want me to?”

Zuko’s smile comes a little easier as Suki takes her seat on the floor in front of him and grabs the white paint. “No, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

With his hair pulled back into a silky black topknot, his face painted and the uniform hanging proudly off his shoulders, Zuko looks every bit the Kyoshi Warrior. Sokka is even more excited about it than Suki is, immediately rushing to show him the techniques he remembers from Suki’s teachings.

They spend the entire day in the hall, practicing techniques, brushing up the metal fans, sparring and telling stories. Suki tells all the tales she knows about Avatar Kyoshi, as well as elaborating more on the history and culture of the Kyoshi Warriors. Later, when the sun has set and they’re back at their temporary home, she tells them about her childhood on this island and her friendship with Yuki.

Even later still, when both of the boys are already sleeping, Suki sneaks out and makes her way down the path that leads over the hills. They’re returning back to the Southern Water Tribe tomorrow, and then after that, the Fire Nation and its territories in the Earth Kingdom. The war may be over, but there is still plenty of work to be done to truly restore the balance between nations. This may have been her last visit to the island of her birth in a long time, Suki has realized, and she needs a proper goodbye.

Avatar Kyoshi is already there when Suki arrives at the house. She’s standing tall in the moonlight, staring over the sea. When she turns to gaze at Suki, Kyoshi smiles. “It’s been a while,” she says. “You’ve done great things.”

“All thanks to you,” Suki answers, smiling back.

“Don’t sell yourself short, now. It’s unbecoming of someone with your experience.”

“Still,” Suki mutters as she joins the Avatar near the edge. Below, foam laced waves break apart on the rocks. “I’m not sure if I could have done it all without you.” The silence lingers comfortably between them before she speaks again. “I’m going to miss you when we leave again, tomorrow.”

The gloved hand of the Avatar, feeling as heavy as Suki remembers it, comes to rest on her shoulder. “I am still just a spirit,” Kyoshi says. A covert smile dances around her lips. “There is no telling if I will remain here. Perhaps, I’ll be just around the corner, whenever you need me, whenever you think I am far away.”

Suki smiles. When she was young, it wasn’t a question that she would live her entire life on the island, dedicated entirely to its protection. Now, she isn’t sure how long it will be before she sees this place, this house, again. Still, she realizes Kyoshi is right: she will always be with Suki, in all those lessons learned over the years. “Perhaps I will be the storm, that arrives without fail after a hot day,” Kyoshi finally says.

Warm tears gather in Suki’s eyes at the unspoken goodbye. “Thank you. For being my mentor, my friend.” The hand on her shoulder squeezes it once, a comforting gesture from a spirit who, in Suki’s understanding, only rarely appears this tethered to the material world. She decides to take advantage of it, just this once, and hugs Kyoshi tight. “With every storm, I’ll remember you.”


End file.
